Chapter 7 - The 5th Circle

"..." Cale's expression dropped.

"What the..." She stared at-

"We're here!" Ashter said, as soon as the four landed on the ground, looking around, many of the people looked at the two people.

'They're so timid... Why?' Cale wondered as soon as he called out...

"Mom!!! I'm home!" Shouting, most realized...

"That's Ashter?" They ALMOST didn't recognize him! He had such expensive-looking clothing...

'So this is his mother's home?' Looking up, she noted...

'It's almost... The structure barely looks stable.' She soon walked in, as despite its trashed-up exterior, the interior was fairly taken care of.

"Mom!!!" Calling for her, the man goes up the stairs...

"Hng..." He found nothing.

'This is why I am trying so hard... So you won't have to...' Ashter clenched his fists, as he didn't want her to do such scandelous acts just to live.

"Is your mother not here?" Cale wondered, as sitting at the table, Ashter sighed,

"No... I was hoping she wasn't working still... Seems I was wrong." Bummed, he just sits down, as Bismuth purred as if trying to comfort his master.

"Don't worry, Bismuth. She's just working right now." Smiling, he pets the dragon, as Cale observed...

'When was the last time I ever pet Cottonbun?' Thinking, she looked at the shrunken dragon...

"Groo...?" Confused, Cale puts her hand on her dragon's head, startling Cottonbun a bit.

"Huh..." Cale was...

"Hehe." Ashter smiled, as in his hair, it was styled in a bun as the golden hair stick with a symbol of the Castalix family is seen on the tip. Adorned with gems, it was... Expensive. It was also the symbol that Ashter is in the king's favor.

"Well. Since it's the weekend... Why don't I get some work done around here?" Ashter told, as Cale grew confused,

"B-But the house looks spotless! What do you-"

"What do you mean? I meant outside." Ashter explained, as soon...

"Hmph!" He puts on his clothing and gear, on his back, a case of a few tools and a simpler outfit alongside a hat.

"Let's get some farming done!" Ashter said, as Cale was in it for some weird sensations-

'Wait... If I observe him some more... Maybe I can present some changes to make the 5th Circle more livable!' Cale smirked,

'I'll watch for a little while...' She steps aside really quickly, as she swipes the stone, markings shine, and...

"Lady Cale! Thank goodness you called us!"

"Hey, commander. Do you think you can cover my shifts for the next two days!?I... Am busy with some important stuff." Cale sweats a bit, unsure if that-

"Oh! Don't you worry, Lady Cale! We'll ensure the skies and lands of the 2nd Circle are freed of ANY crime and disharmony!" The commander quickly accepted, as...

"Alright, men! We're-!" The call cuts, as Cale watched...

"Hm." But she was... Fasincated...

"Since when..." She blushed a bit, seeing the flexing of Ashter's muscles, the sweat from his brows...

"HNG!!!" She had to focus! SHE NEEDED TO FOCUS! So...

"Excuse me, miss?"

"A-Ah..." An older woman is shocked, seeing the crest on a plate of armor, she knew this was-

"I-Is there anything you need, your highness?" She wondered,

"Huh? No, of course-"

"Go inside, grandma... I'll take over from here." Soon, a younger man is seen, a bit younger than Cale, as she grows confused,

"I just wanted-"

"Go, grandma." He cuts Cale off, much to her annoyance.

'This low life...!' She thinks in fury and rage.

"What do you want?" He demanded,

"I only wanted to ask her a few questions!" Cale grew frustrated,

"... Then speak." He crossed his arms, as Cale began her parade of questions...

"Huh?" The boy is... Confused.

"You... Only wanted to ask that?"

"Yep. You see, I have a friend who lives in the 5th Circle. I... Want to see if my father can listen to my demands if it means improving the lives of the 5th Circle residents."

"!?!" Everyone is confused... Improving? She has to be-

"Cale!" Ashter soon walked to her, sweating bullets,

"Everything going fine here?" He wondered,

"Y-Yep! Nothing much, hehe... J-Just wanted to ask a few questions... On how to..." She is just...

Cale is very thirsty. That's it! Thirsty... Yeah...

"... to..."

"She wants to know how we can get improvements on our living conditions here, Mr. Lake." The young man, recognizing Ashter as a superior, was a lot more polite.

"Ah..." Ashter began asking questions, as Cale was TICKED, but she sighed,

"We have a long two days ahead of us, Cottonbun..." Cale pets Cottonbun's head, much to the dragon's delight.

Since that day... Cale learned a lot.

"Lack of food... Lack of work... Lack of everything..." Cale was disheartened... She stared at the long list, flipping through page by page.

"Yeah..." Ashter flips a thing of food on a pan, as he used magic to spark the fires.

"Shhh..." The meat sizzled, as Cale sniffed.

"?" It had no flavoring... Why?

"Pardon my arrogance... But... Is the food here of low quality?"

'She picks up fast.' Ashter thinks,

"Yep. The monster meat is just lower in quality. Meat is pretty rare here, my mom simply saves it in her little freezer invention my grandfather made a long time ago."

"?" Cale is rightfully confused.

"Freezer?" She is confused once more.

"Yeah. My grandfather was a Dragon Rider, albeit a not-so-infamous one. He was one of the best Bronze Rank Dragon Riders and learned how to preserve his dragon's frost magic and used it in... This!" Ashter soon slides a wooden door, as...

"Woah..." Cale gets up, as it was a VERY cold container!

"So much food!" She knew peasants didn't have much, but this was a LOT.

"My mom kept it. She would've made a fortune... But she quite despises nobles." Ashter chuckled,

"Mom..." He reminisces.

***

"Don't trust those nobles... They're nothing but trouble!"

***

"..." Staring at the freezer, Cale asked,

"When do you think I can meet her?" Cale wondered, as Ashter was worried,

"You did hear what I-"

"That's why I want to meet her. I want to change her perspective on... Some nobles." She knows it'll be a challenge, but she's one foot in this situation as it is, might as well dip herself in these shark-infested waters.

***

The night soon rolled, as Cale was... More or less unformtable.

"This bed...!" She didn't think it would be THIS hard and uncomfortable. Just some hay wrapped in cloth! Then it's not even fluffy to deny the floor was still being felt from the "bed".

"How does he live like this!?! How do they all!?!" Complaining, she soon sighed, just staring out a window...

"..." She noticed a few dragons flying in the skies... It was...

"Hng..." She soon grabs her stone, swiping it, and the symbol glows.

"... Lady Cale." Spoke a servant.

"Hey... I want to set up a meeting with my father two days from now. I want... I want to propose a change here in the 5th Circle."

"W-What!?! You're in the 5th Circle!?! What about-"

"Don't worry, Command Ralph is covering for my absence," Cale explained, as the servant sighed,

"Still... It's not a place for someone of your status to be! What if someone wants to- Wait... Whose home are you in!?! Are you okay!?! Are you-"

"Why would anyone want to hurt me? I have one..." Cale slows down...

"..." She recognized more than one reason why people dislike nobles...

"I... have the power to destroy them if necessary." Cale ends that thought.

"That's good. How's the dragon, anyways? Did she-"

"She's resting..." Cale explained, looking at the dragon, its body resting on the flooring...

"... Please... Just stay safe out there." The servant asked, as Cale nodded,

"Of course. Please just inform my father of my request." Cale asked as soon as the call ended.

***

It was the next day, as I sat in a wooden tub...

"At least he can produce warm water." Soon, Cale is seen sitting in a tub. Cottonbun is seen with mana, causing the water through her tail to warm up the water. A steam was produced because of it, as she noted...

"Low quality soap... No means of warm water without magic... The only valuable thing here is that creation... The freezer, she called it?" Cale spoke to herself, as Ashter had already left to work on some other things.

"Well..." She soon gets up, her long brown hair to the middle of her back, and she's soon seen wearing another set of clothing.

"I'll just continue asking questions." She said, as Cale explored the 5th Circle... She saw a lot. People out in the streets... Begging for food or coins. Some homes were destroyed, and there's plenty of trash everywhere in some alleyways, and some just dumped in the street.,

"What has my brother been doing all this time!?!" horrified, she wondered what her younger brother has even been up to!

"Bond Skill!" Calling upon the Bond Skill, red wings sprout from her back, as she was going to take flight to the one place she knew he was in.

Blitzing to the headquarters...

***

A younger boy, around 12 years old, is seen, the 5th child of the King of Castalix.

"Prince Cole. Don't you think it's time to continue your assigned route within the-"

"I told you... I am not going to bother with those inbred rats!" Spoke the young boy, the 12-year-old, seeing with a Platinum Rank Dragon. While not as big as an adult, it's at that stage of development. It'll take one more year since it becomes a true adult.

"What's the point of watching over them? They just eat, sleep, and work. That's all." Cole smirked, as...

"YOU LITTLE CRAP!" Screamed...

"Is that some banshee-"

"CRASH!!!" Glass shattered, as Cole's eyes widened,

"S-Sister Cale...!"

"COLE, YOU HAVE SOME FUCKING EXPLAINING TO DO." As ifana, angel of death, Cale flaps in the air, as the servant QUICKLY runs off.

"H-Hey-!"

"I am not done with you." Cale was like a demon, as landing on the ground...

"GROOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Roars Cottonbun, as the boy and his dragon cried in fear.

"..." Cale glared at the boy...

"Mind telling me why the 5th Circle citizens are in the way they're in? It's our duty as the children of the king to personally report to him situations like this! How long has this happened!?! Why is the place so... Eugh!" Cale shivered, rats were everywhere, garbage... Dead bodies of animals... 

"P-Please forgive me, sister Cale...!" Cole begged, crying like mad.

"You're going over to father... And you're going to tell him of your mistakes as his child and the watcher of the 5th Circle!" Ordering him, Cole quickly darts off.

"... Oh." Turning back, she realized she had made a huge mess...

"You. I won't bat an eye if you get this fixed." She stared as the other servants nodded, quickly getting to work.

***

"Sigh..." The king groans in annoyance,

"P-Please forgive me, f-father..."

"Honey, I don't think we should take away his dragon. After all, he's-"

"I gave him specific orders to report to me on issues like this... Augh... First, it was the Silver Order under him, now I find out my son disregarded his purpose and mission..." The king was truly disappointed.

"Send a message. Send a more reliable workforce from all the other circles to help rebuild and supply the 5th Circle. Provide better crops... Dispose of the corpses..." The king sighed, as Cale smirked, having given her father the report and the suggestions from her notebook.

***

"Huh?" It had been a week since then, as Ashter visits once more,

"It's such a relief..." Zariah smiled brightly, as she was able to take a job as...

"I can finally bake cakes and bread!" She was now a baker, as since then, the 5th Circle experienced a large amount of support.

Jobs opened up, but the brothels, however, suffered since they took advantage of women and men in need.

Farming increased, tools were replenished, the water supplies were established, the entire circle was better than ever!

"W-Well... I am just surprised... That Cale managed to bring about such change." Ashter said, a few days ago...

"Don't you worry! I took care of my disappointing brother!"

"Cale?" Zariah grew curious about the name.

"... A NOBLE!?! W-What would a noble know!?! She never did anything but-"

"I am telling you, she stayed here for 2 days to ask questions and get suggestions on how to improve the livelihoods of the people. She... She helped us... Helped you, Mom." Ashter said, a bit of a blush on his face.

"Kro?" Bismuth then grows curious by-

"W-Well... I'd like to meet this girl sometime in the future." Zariah clears her throat.

"But I have been selling so much bread and cakes nowadays! Ah, it's only a woman's dream to provide such skills for their lovely husband! Oh, if Dan were here to see this!" Zariah smiled, as when Ashter was born, Dan died in a tragic accident while in a war against a kingdom far away... The lifelong enemy of the Castalix Kingdom...

The Ironclad Kingdom.

"I am sure Father would've loved that." Smiling, Ashter was glad his mother's life had finally turned around.

'That means I am in her debt... Hehe, my freedom isn't as important as my mother and Bismuth's future.' Thinking, walking around, workers are all over the place, constructing new homes, disposing of the corpses of animals and people, and farmers have finally obtained fresher crops of varying species. Wheat, berries, everything.

This increased the livelihoods of the people. 

***

A kingdom of iron... Clad in steel... People fight and warriors roar for the death and carnage it brings.

"Grooo..." A dragon growls... The one and only Platinum Rank Dragon... But it's strength...

No, it's Platinum Rank Dragons amongst Platinum Rank Dragons. A dragon from the rifts in the skies, a 1/1,000,000 chance...

The dragon is black as if obsidian. Sharp crystals grew on its body, and light shimmered from it.

This is the Black Osidian Dragon, the prized possession of the King of Ironclad, Ryan Ironclad.

End of chapter 7.